A Space Designed for Real Life Wellness
On any given day in White Lake, it can be easy to fall into routine. Work, family, responsibilities. The kind of rhythm where taking time for yourself often slips to the bottom of the list. What Shawna Ramthun and Niki Fanjoy built with Renew You Fitness is not just a place to work out. It is a response to that reality, and a reminder that wellness is not something reserved for later.
Both Ramthun and Fanjoy are from the White Lake area, which made the gap even more noticeable. Access to group fitness often meant leaving the community.
Renew You Fitness did not begin as a business plan. It started as a shared idea between two friends who loved moving their bodies and wanted something more accessible for their own community. Driving back from a concert, the idea finally clicked.
“We finally put the pieces together and decided, let’s bring something like this right here to White Lake,” Shawna Ramthun said.
From a Simple Idea to a Growing Studio
That moment turned into action. Within a short time, they were searching for a space, building a brand, and stepping into something neither of them had done before. Opening in 2023, the studio has already lived through multiple moves, long hours, and the steep learning curve of running a business. But through all of it, one thing has stayed consistent. The purpose.
What Renew You Fitness offers goes beyond equipment and classes. It creates a space where people feel comfortable showing up, even when that first step feels intimidating.
“We tend to think that simply walking through the door the very first time is the hardest part,” Ramthun said.
What keeps people coming back is what they find inside.
“It’s the other people, the community, that actually make you want to keep coming back,” she said.
Removing Barriers to Getting Started
That sense of community is not accidental. It is built into everything they do.
Inside the studio, everything is provided. Weights of all sizes, yoga mats, props, and equipment are ready for anyone who walks in.
“We try to provide everything, so you shouldn’t have to bring anything when you come in,” Ramthun said.
The goal is simple. Remove barriers. Make it easier to start.
But what really defines the experience is how personal it becomes. Instructors learn names. They offer modifications for every fitness level. They watch closely and adjust in real time.
“All of our instructors take the time to genuinely get to know our clients, and we actively encourage people of all different fitness levels to join the studio,” she said.
Whether someone is brand new or more experienced, the expectation is not perfection. It is progress.
“As we always say, it’s all about progress. It’s never about perfection,” Ramthun said.
A Variety of Classes for Every Level
That mindset shows up in the variety of classes offered. Yoga options range from gentle sessions designed for beginners to more intense flows that build strength and flexibility. There are classes focused on stretching and recovery, as well as hybrid styles that blend multiple approaches into one experience.
On the fitness side, the offerings are just as diverse. High intensity interval training pushes endurance. Pilates builds core strength and balance. Boot camp style classes mix weights, resistance, and cardio. There are targeted workouts for upper and lower body, and even music-driven sessions like DRUMFIT that turn movement into something fun and energizing.
The variety is intentional.
“We always joke that we are complete opposites,” Ramthun said of herself and co-owner Niki Fanjoy. “But that unique blend is exactly what helped us create a studio with so much variety.”
More Than a Workout, A Community
That approach has created something they did not fully expect. Relationships.
Clients who once came in quietly now stay after class to talk. Friendships form. People meet up outside the studio to stay active together.
“I think the part that neither of us saw coming at all was the relationships that we were going to get out of it,” Ramthun said.
What started as a fitness space has become a gathering place, one where confidence grows alongside strength.
“We’ve truly realized that wellness is also deeply connected to your state of mind,” she said.
Continuing to Grow in White Lake
It is also a place that reflects the reality of the community it serves. Most instructors, including the owners, still work full-time jobs. Classes are scheduled early in the morning and later in the evening to fit real-life schedules.
That flexibility extends beyond regular classes. Renew You Fitness offers private group sessions for everything from small gatherings to bachelorette parties, either in the studio or at a location of choice. They also continue to explore partnerships and new opportunities within the White Lake community.
Even after three years, the studio is still evolving.
“We hope to continue growing, meeting new people, and discovering exciting new things that we can offer,” Ramthun said.
That growth has not come without challenges. Moving locations multiple times tested their resilience. Learning the business side required constant adjustment. Balancing affordability with rising costs remains an ongoing tension.
“Trying to balance that with keeping everything affordable, it’s very challenging,” she said.
But those challenges also reinforce what matters most. The reason they started in the first place.
Shirts and Protein Balls for sale in the studio
A Cinco de Mayo Celebration to Mark Three Years
Renew You Fitness is not about creating the perfect workout. It is about creating a place where people feel supported enough to try.
As the studio approaches its three-year anniversary, that purpose is still front and center. And they are marking the moment in a way that reflects who they are.
On Cinco de Mayo, Renew You Fitness will celebrate three years with a simple invitation.
“We’re going to do $3 off all the drop ins,” Ramthun said. “We’re running that special all week, Sunday through Saturday, so everyone has a chance to join.”
It is a small gesture with a bigger goal. Lower the barrier, welcome people in, and give them a chance to experience what has been built here.
Because for Shawna Ramthun, Niki Fanjoy, and the community that has grown around them, the hardest step is still the first one.
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